Keeping past experience in mind and the public outcry that followed, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta has been given a clear brief by the chief minister's office to ensure that the development plan is error-free.
The most-awaited Development Plan (DP) for the next 20 years (up to 2034), being prepared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), may well turn out to be the last planning document for Mumbai. With little scope for availability of new land in the city, experts feel that future development plans may have only cosmetic changes with a few infrastructural alterations.
The city, with an area of 458.28 sq km, has 28% of natural zones. The estimated population in the year 2034 is expected to reach 1.40 crore. With limited area left in the city to exploit for future needs, the present development plan is crucial.
Keeping past experience in mind and the public outcry that followed, municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta has been given a clear brief by the chief minister's office to ensure that the development plan is error-free.
"We are working meticulously on each and every aspect in a detailed manner to ensure that we could give our best to the city for the next 20 years. However, this development plan is very different in nature from that of 1991. The city has come a long way and people's aspirations as well as infrastructural requirements have changed drastically. We need to look at the future requirements of the city," said Mehta.
When asked whether there was any scope for changes in the Development Plan after the one for 2034 or whether this will be the last plan document for the city, Mehta said that the point needs to be thought about.
"We are hoping that with slums being rehabilitated and other projects developed, this will free the land which could be included in the next Development Plan. We are offering several incentives to developers to create open spaces and green zones," he said.
Mehta said the aspirations of the city and its people decide its Development Plan. "Who had thought about gender infrastructure, needs of IT industry and commercial hubs with hundreds of multi-national companies operating from the city a few decades ago. All this will have to be included in this plan. What is the scope for the next DP will have to be figured out at that point of time as per the requirements of that generation and the needs of the city at that time," he said.
He said this DP has to fulfill the aspirations and requirements of the present generation as well as that of those in the next two decades.
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 "Ajoy Mehta")
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